Black Day (

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

: 블랙데이) is an unofficial holiday observed on April 14 each year. It is mostly observed in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...

. The day is associated with

Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, throu ...

and

White Day White Day is celebrated annually on March 14, one month after Valentine's Day, when people give reciprocal gifts to those who gave them gifts received on Valentine's Day. It began in Japan in 1978; since then, its observance has spread to seve ...

as a

holiday A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or tra ...

on the 14th day of the month. On this day, people who did not receive

gift A gift or a present is an item given to someone without the expectation of payment or anything in return. An item is not a gift if that item is already owned by the one to whom it is given. Although gift-giving might involve an expectation ...

s on the previous two days gather and eat

jajangmyeon ''Jajangmyeon'' () or ''jjajangmyeon'' () is a Korean noodle dish topped with a thick sauce made of '' chunjang'', diced pork, and vegetables. Variants of the dish use seafood, or other meats. History ''Jajangmyeon'' was introduced in the la ...

, noodles with black sauce. This day is specifically for single people.

Origins

and

are both celebrated as occasions to give

s to

significant other The term significant other (SO) has different uses in psychology and in colloquial language. Colloquially, "significant other" is used as a gender-neutral term for a person's partner in an intimate relationship without disclosing or presuming ...

s. Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14, when women buy men gifts (usually

chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form since at least the Olmec civ ...

). Black Day originally did not exist until after

Valentines Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, thro ...

and

became popular. Uniquely, Japan and South Korea are the only countries that celebrate Valentine's Day twice. Because of all the love holidays (14 to be exact) that occur in Korea, many felt that single people also deserved recognition. White Day is celebrated on March 14, when men reciprocate the gifts with their own, also present in the form of chocolate. As both occasions fall on the 14th, other holidays were created by the

government of South Korea The Government of South Korea is the union government of the Republic of Korea, created by the Constitution of South Korea as the executive, legislative and judicial authority of the republic. The president acts as the head of state and is th ...

for all other months to continue this

trend A fad or trend is any form of collective behavior that develops within a culture, a generation or social group in which a group of people enthusiastically follow an impulse (psychology), impulse for a short period. Fads are objects or behavior ...

. The creation has also been attributed to

marketers Marketing is the process of exploring, creating, and delivering value to meet the needs of a target market in terms of goods and services; potentially including selection of a target audience; selection of certain attributes or themes to empha ...

Meaning

Black Day builds on the romantic aspect of

and White Day. As the

chocolates Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form since at least the Olmec civil ...

received on Valentine's Day are interpreted to symbolize a man's popularity and the chocolates given on

are used solely for romantic purposes, Black Day focuses on the people, especially singles, who did not receive any gifts on either of the holidays. On the day, singles who have not received presents on both days gather wearing

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

to 'commiserate' over black-colored food, especially

. During the meal, they complain about their lack of

intimate relationship An intimate relationship is an interpersonal relationship that involves physical or emotional intimacy. Although an intimate relationship is commonly a sexual relationship, it may also be a non-sexual relationship involving family, friends, or ...

s and chocolate gifts.

Celebration

Many people take Black Day as an opportunity to celebrate with friends and family. The term celebrating is used loosely. Some people celebrate Black Day with their friends to embrace the fact that they are single, since there is less societal pressure to be in a relationship in Korea today. Other people who celebrate Black Day indulge in

comfort food Comfort food is food that provides a nostalgic or sentimental value to someone, and may be characterized by its high caloric nature, high carbohydrate level, or simple preparation. The nostalgia may be specific to an individual, or it may app ...

. The most commonly eaten food on Black Day is

jjajangmyeon ''Jajangmyeon'' () or ''jjajangmyeon'' () is a Korean noodle dish topped with a thick sauce made of '' chunjang'', diced pork, and vegetables. Variants of the dish use seafood, or other meats. History ''Jajangmyeon'' was introduced in the la ...

, a popular black bean noodle dish in Korea. People eat jjajangmyeon on Black Day because it is a simple, yet delicious dish that one can get at a cheap price. The people who celebrate eat at Chinese-styled restaurants. Though not black,

danmuji ''Takuan'' (; also spelled ''takuwan''), or ''takuan-zuke'' (; 'pickled takuan'), known as ''danmuji'' () in the context of Korean cuisine, is a pickled preparation of daikon radish. As a popular part of traditional Japanese cuisine, ''takua ...

tangsuyuk ''Tangsuyuk'' () is a Korean Chinese meat dish with sweet and sour sauce. It can be made with either pork or beef. History and etymology ''Tangsuyuk'' is a dish that was first made by Chinese merchants in the port city of Incheon, where the ...

, and

kimchi ''Kimchi'' (; ko, 김치, gimchi, ), is a traditional Korean side dish of salted and fermented vegetables, such as napa cabbage and Korean radish. A wide selection of seasonings are used, including ''gochugaru'' (Korean chili powder), sprin ...

are popular side dishes that are enjoyed with jjajangmyeon. Those who want to celebrate by themselves order take-out from these restaurants. People who use this as an opportunity to promote music, food, clothes, competitions, and matchmaking services. Many restaurants and companies use Black Day to promote discounts on their items. Restaurants expect their sales to be double, or even triple, the amount they usually make. Black coffee and jjajangmyeon are two popular food options that sell out very quick on this day.

Impact

This day is targeted by

business Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or Trade, buying and selling Product (business), products (such as goods and Service (economics), services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for pr ...

es, who hold various events and

advertise Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...

their products, a strategy known as 'day marketing. The events are highly popular, and include

matchmaking Matchmaking is the process of matching two or more people together, usually for the purpose of marriage, in which case the matchmaker is also known as a marriage broker. The word is also used in the context of sporting events such as boxing, in ...

events such as

speed dating Speed dating is a formalized matchmaking process which has the purpose of encouraging eligible singles to meet large numbers of new potential partners in a very short period of time. Organization Usually advance registration is required for ...

-eating contests, and discounts on items.

Other countries

Like Korea, other countries have their own version of Black Day. They use this as an opportunity to celebrate the joys of being single. The United States of America celebrates Single Awareness Day on the 15th of February, the day after Valentine's Day. Unlike Korea, the United States does not promote Single Awareness Day. China celebrates single day on November 11th. It is celebrated on the 11th of November because the ones represent single sticks. Like Korea, China promotes many discounts for singles. Single's Day in China continues to be China's biggest e-commerce sale.

Alibaba Ali Baba (character), Ali Baba is a character from the folk tale ''Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves''. Ali Baba or Alibaba may also refer to: Films * Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1902 film), ''Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves'' (1902 film), a F ...

registered $38.4 billion worth of sales on Single's Day alone.

References